Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SOUTH OGDEN — The man at the center of an Amber Alert for a missing 11-year-old boy was charged Wednesday with kidnapping and abusing the boy he claimed he was "dating."
Weston Ray Kubbe, 37, of Murray, was charged in 2nd District Court with two counts of child kidnapping, a first-degree felony; aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony; and enticing a minor, a second-degree felony.
On Monday, South Ogden police said Kubbe convinced a young boy to sneak out of his room. The boy's father found a note on his son's pillow in the morning stating, "I love you and I appreciate everything you've done, and I'm OK and I'll be back soon. Unless you call 911, then I won't be back."
An Amber Alert was issued early Monday afternoon. By 4 p.m., Kubbe was located and he led police to the 11-year-old near Murray Park.
"Kubbe confessed to having met the child online a few weeks ago, entered into a 'dating' relationship with the child wherein (Kubbe) would meet the child at an area near his school and they would do things together," charging documents state.
Kubbe allegedly picked up the boy from his neighborhood on Monday. He also had previously picked him up the previous weekend "and took the child to Murray for the night," according to the charges.
South Ogden Police Sgt. Will Dehart said in that case, the boy told his parents he was staying at a friend's house and they didn't know he was with Kubbe.
Kubbe is accused of inappropriately touching the child.
Charging documents say Kubbe also "acknowledged that he knew the child’s age" and didn't have permission to take him.
Police said they discovered 478 pages worth of online conversations between Kubbe and the boy.
South Ogden police served a search warrant on Kubbe's home in Murray about 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dehart said. "Multiple" computers and electronic devices were seized, he said. As of Wednesday, no evidence of child pornography or other crimes had been found, but Dehart said investigators were just starting to go through them.
Detectives continued to investigate Wednesday whether there are any other possible victims. As of Wednesday afternoon, Dehart said no other children or parents had stepped forward claiming to have been victimized.
Most concerning to detectives is the access Kubbe had to children. He was previously employed by the Murray School District as a grant employee from 2001-07 at Liberty Elementary, according to the district. From 2007-12 he was a substitute teacher. District officials say he passed all background checks and eventually left on his own.
Kubbe also has a background working as a computer technician for several companies.
